Denon DVD-555S Progressive-Scan DVD Player

Denon DVD-555S Progressive-Scan DVD Player
Manufacturer: Denon
Product Type: CE

Editorial Review:
Product Description
The Denon DVD-555S Progressive Scan DVD Player brings the ful power of digital video to your TV. The Progressive Scan output delivers a more true-to-life picture while the 3:2 pulldown detection and decoders for homemade picture discs let you view your own photos and slideshows in perfect digital recreation. 2MB memory buffer decreases layer change pauses & pickup dropouts Selectable 24-bit, 96 KHz PCM output pass-through capability 24-bit, 192 KHz audio DACs 10-bit, 54MHz video DACs PCM, DD, dts compatible Optical/Coax digital outputs Component, S-Video and Composite video out Black level control Picture zoom Discrete Remote Power on/off control Dimensions(HxWxD) - 17.1 x 3 x 8.3
Amazon.com Product Description
Give your home theater an affordable infusion of high-quality picture and sound with Denon's DVD-555S DVD player. The slim, silver player will let you enjoy your recordable CDs filled with MP3 and Windows Media Audio files (including WMA 9) in addition to playing DVD-Video, recordable DVD (video-mode DVD-RW and DVD+R/+RW), and recordable CD configured for digital photo viewing (JPEG image CD, Kodak Picture CD, and Fujicolor CD).

For its video stage, the DVD-555S employs dual, discrete 54 MHz, 10-bit video digital-to-analog conversion (1 chip each for progressive and interlaced outputs). Progressive scanning, referred to as 480p for the number of horizontal lines that compose the video image, creates a picture using twice the scan lines of a conventional DVD picture, giving you higher resolution and sharper images while eliminating nearly all motion artifacts (appreciable on high-definition and HD-ready TVs).

A 2 MB memory buffer decreases layer-change pauses or pickup dropouts during DVD playback, and standard composite- and S-video outputs bring compatibility with just about any television.

The player uses Burr-Brown 24-bit, 192 kHz audio DACs (PCM-1756) for pristine sound from DVDs and CDs, and both Dolby Digital and DTS 5.1-channel surround-sound signals can be routed through the player's digital-audio outputs (1 each of RCA coaxial and Toslink optical) for direct connection with your audio/video receiver. The digital-audio outputs are configurable for 24-bit, 96 kHz PCM passthrough to compatible receivers and stand-alone DACs.

Other features include picture zoom, black-level control, and remote ports for hookup and operation in concert with other Denon equipment.

What's in the Box
DVD player, remote control, remote batteries (2 AA), a user's manual, a stereo analog audio interconnect/composite-video cable, an AC power cord, a service-station list, and a warranty card.

Average customer rating: 4.5

Great Buy
High Quality, Low Price - Excellent Buy
Great Computer...Horrible support

HP Pavilion Media Center a1340n Desktop PC (Intel Pentium 4 Processor 640 (H-T), 1 GB RAM, 250 GB Hard Drive, LightScribe Drive)

Manufacturer: Hewlett Packard Office
Product Group: Personal Computer
Binding: Personal Computers
ASIN: B000E39UZE

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Amazon.com Product Description

The HP Pavilion a1340n comes loaded with the all tools you need to easily create, manage, share, and enjoy your digital photos, home videos, movies, and music. It features a wide range of connectivity options for all your peripherals and preloaded HP Image Zone Plus photo editing and management software. Store more music, videos, and data on the roomy 250 GB hard drive. It comes loaded with 1 GB of RAM (which can be bumped up to 2 GB), a 3.2 GHz hyper-threading Intel Pentium 4 processor, LightScribe multi-format DVD/CD burner, extra DVD-ROM drive, a 9-in-1 memory card reader that's compatible with today's most popular digital camera formats, Windows Media Center 2005 (with Rollup 2 Update), and a wide assortment of pre-loaded software.

The Basics
<ul>

Hard Drive: The extra large 250 GB Serial ATA (SATA) hard drive (7200 RPM) offers a wealth of storage space, perfect for storing a vast multimedia collection or for editing digital video. This SATA hard drive also quickens the pace with a higher speed transfer of data--akin to FireWire and USB 2.0.

Processor: Sitting in the upper quarter of the speed spectrum for this processor class, the hyper-threading 3.2 GHz Intel Pentium 4 640 processor provides powerfully speedy support for your multimedia needs. It also features a very fast 800 MHz front-side bus speed, which measures how fast a processor and the main memory communicate, and a large 2 MB L2 cache. (An L2, or secondary, cache temporarily stores data; and a larger L2 cache can help speed up your system's performance.)

A hyper-threading processor helps a PC run several demanding applications at the same time. This technology enables the processor to execute two threads (parts of a program) in parallel, boosting performance during key high-drain procedures. This results in more efficient software performance, such as faster reaction times in gaming applications, and enhanced multitasking.

Memory: The 1 GB of installed RAM (PC3200) is a very good start, but you'll want to add more RAM to handle today's demanding multimedia and gaming software. This desktop has a 2 GB maximum RAM capacity (2 x 1 GB), which is a bit small in comparison to other multimedia desktops in this HP lineup.

CD/DVD Drive: Offering the latest in DVD writing technology, the a1340n's multiformat DVD/CD drive is compatible with writing both DVD+ and DVD- disc formats as well as dual-layer (DL) DVD+/-R discs, which can store up to 8.5 GB of data. It features 4x DVD-R DL Write Once, 2.4x DVD+R DL Write Once, 8x DVD+R, 4x DVD+RW, 8x DVD-R, 4x DVD-RW, 16x DVD-ROM, 40x CD-R, 24x CD-RW, and 40x CD-ROM speeds. It also comes with a second DVD-ROM optical drive, with 16x read speed.

This LightScribe DVD+/-RW drive lets you laser-etch silkscreen quality text and images on to CDs and DVDs . Your software, PC and discs work together for a no-hassle way to burn just the labels you want. After you burn content, just flip the disc over, reinsert and burn your label--anything from a simple title to a full-disc work of art.

Keyboard & Mouse: It comes with an HP multimedia keyboard and scroller mouse (both with PS/2 connections). </ul> Screen, Graphics and Sound
Video is powered by the ATI Radeon XPress 200 IGP video/graphics card, which delivers good, though not high-end, 3D graphics. It delivers up to 128 MB of video RAM shared with the system RAM. ATI's HyperMemory technology allows the chipset to run in either Unified Memory Architecture (UMA) mode or with dedicated frame buffer memory to enhance graphics performance. It also features an integrated audio card with microphone, line-in, and headphone jacks.

Connectivity and Expansion Slots
For expansion, the a1340n has three PCI slots (two available), one PCI Express slot (available), two 5.25-inch external bays (both occupied), two external 3.5-inch bays (one available), and one internal 3.5-inch bay (occupied). It comes with a built-in floppy drive and the following external connectors: <ul>

7 USB 2.0 ports for connecting a wide range of peripherals--from digital cameras to MP3 players (3 in front--including 1 in memory card reader--4 in rear)

2 FireWire (also known as IEEE 1394 or i.Link) port for connecting digital video camcorders and other peripherals (1 in front, 1 in rear)

1 parallel port for connecting older printers and scanners

2 PS/2 ports for connecting keyboards and mice

1 VGA monitor port

9-in-1 media card reader on the front, compatible with CompactFlash (Type I and II), MicroDrive, SmartMedia, Memory Stick/Memory Stick Pro, MultiMedia Card, Secure Digital, and XD Picture Card

2 headphone (1 front, 1 rear)

2 microphone (1 front, 1 rear)

2 line-in (1 front, 1 rear) </ul> It also has an integrated 56K modem (V.90) and an RJ-45 LAN network port (for a 10/100 Ethernet connection to networks and DSL/cable modems).

Preloaded System and Software
The pre-installed Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005 (Update Rollup 2) is essentially Windows XP Professional Edition with a variety of tools to help you to create, organize, and enjoy digital media ranging from music to home movies to photo slide shows. The Update Rollup 2 upgrade offers support for the Windows Media Center Extender technology built into XBox 360 game consoles, which lets you access entertainment from your Media Center PC--whether itÕs live and recorded TV and movies, music, photos or Online Spotlight--on any TV in the house.

It also comes preloaded with Microsoft Works 8 (for working with word processing and spreadsheet documents), Symantec Norton Internet Security 2005 AntiSpyware Edition (with 60 days of LiveUpdate), PC Doctor, Encarta Encyclopedia 2005, Quicken New User Edition 2005, Microsoft Money 2005, WinDVD Player, Sonic DigitalMedia Plus, Sonic MyDVD Plus, Sonic DigitalMedia Archive, muvee AutoProducer, iTunes.

The included HP Image Zone 5 photo and imaging software makes it easy to organize, edit, share, print, protect, and store your photos and video clips. Organize and find your photos easily by timeline, keywords, and/or location using the unique photo-globe mapping tool. Remove red eye and fix other common problems. Share your photos quickly via e-mails that include thumbnails with links to the full-sized images--without downloading time-consuming attachments.

Dimensions and Weight
This desktop PC measures 15.2 x 7.2 x 17 inches (HxWxD) and weighs approximately 24 pounds.

What's in the Box
This package contains the HP Pavilion a1340n desktop PC, power cable, keyboard, and mouse. It is backed by a limited warranty for parts and labor for one year from date of purchase as well as technical telephone assistance for one year. Software is also covered for 90 days from date of purchase.

Product Description

The HP Pavilion Media Center a1340n PC delivers all the functionality you require for better digital media management. The high-speed 3.2 GHz Intel Pentium 4 Processor, 2MB L2 cache, HT Technology and 800MHz front side bus give you tehblazing speed you require for fast video and photo processing. Store all your footage and stills in one spot with the large 250GB hard drive, while transferring data to it instantly through the 9-in-1 card reader. A full range of software tools are included to make managing, organizing and enjoying your digital media a simpler, more complete experience. ATI Radeon XPress 200 graphics card with up to 256MB shared memory Integrated 10/100Base-T network interface Integrated audio - Supports 8 channels 2 240-pin DDR memory slots (1 avail.) Expansion bays - 1 3.5 bay available, 3 occupied (1 internal 3.5, 2 internal 5.25) Expansion slots - 3 PCI (2 available), 1 PCI Express (avail.) 56K Fax Modem Front panel 9-in-1 memory card reader - supports Smart Media, xD, MultiMedia Card, Secure Digital (SD), CF types I and II, Micro Drive, Memory Stick & Memory Stick PRO 7 USB 2.0 ports -- 3 front, 4 back 2 FireWire ports -- 1 front, 1 back Other ports - 1 parallel, 2 PS/2, 1 mic line-in/line-out Operating System - Windows XP Media Center Lifestyle Software - HP ImageZone, Sonic DigitalMedia Plus, Sonic MyDVD, RealPlayer, InterVideo WinDVD 5, Encarta Standard Online -- plus trial offers for AOL, MSN, MSN Premium, Netscape Internet Service, EarthLink and PeoplePC Online Productivity Software - Microsoft Works 8, Office Student and Teacher Edition 2003 (60-day trial), Adobe Reader 7.0, Quicken 2006 New User Edition, Microsoft Money 2005, Norton Internet Security 2005 AntiSpyware edition Dimensions(HxWxD) - 15 x 7.17 x 17 Weight - 24 lbs. unpackaged; 33 lbs. in box HP USA Warranty with phone support - 1 Year Hardware / 90 Days Software Monito

Customer Reviews:

Great Buy.......2007-05-31

My family has had this computer for about 2 years and we've never had a problem with it. It always runs fast, even when I have itunes, Firefox, a game, and Photoshop all running at the same time. The built in card reader is extremely handy since it accommodates almost every type of card. 7 USB ports may sound like a lot but it is just the right amount. This computer is a great buy for anyone, and who can argue with a 250 GB hard drive.

High Quality, Low Price - Excellent Buy.......2006-04-14

This is a great PC. It has a processor fast enough to run all of the newest games, and a hard-drive big enough to store them all, right out of the box. The PC comes with Windows XP Media Center 2005 pre-installed, which is essentially identical to Windows XP Pro, so this PC can be used for just about anything you want to use it for. Photo-editing, gaming, software development - Windows XP Media Center Edition is fine to use for any of them.

I would recommend this PC to anybody looking for a relatively cheap PC with a lot of horsepower.

Great Computer...Horrible support.......2006-03-09

For starters, this computer gives you a lot of firepower for the money. But that is where the good ends.

This computer comes with XP Media. For home use this is great. However, for professional use, it is useless. The HP website advertises XP Pro as an option. Anyone who knows XP will tell you that the standard proceedure is to do a "clean install" of XP Pro; which means reformatting the drive. The next step is to either install the necessary drivers from the supplied disk or website.

HP neither supplies a disk nor makes them easily available on their website. It took me three days of telephone calls (the online help is totally useless) before I was directed to the bowels of their website to find what I think are the drivers. Everything is sort of working now although I have still have a few minor problems going on.

Of course, their canned solution is to send me a recovery disk that will reformat my hard drive back to factory install. That would leave me right back where I started.

As I said before, this is a great machine. But the technical support is, for all practical purposes, non-existant. Before you buy a machine, make sure that the drivers are easily accessible.

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